Grip training device



Nov. 19, 1963 J. A. ENGLISH GRIP TRAINING DEVICE Filed June 29, 1961 cla /Ar A. $641514 IN V EN TOR.

BY Ms ArraRNEgs. ,HiMPR/j .K/Echg BOSSELL IFEAW United States Patent Ofi ice 3,111,322 Patented Nov. 19, 1963 3,111,322 GRIP TRAINING DEVICE John A. English, 887 Flintridge Ave., Pasadena, Caiif., assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, of fifteen percent each to Harry G. .Iohansing and Paul G. Johansing, both of Los Angeles, Calif, twenty-five percent each to Austin Bruce Slack and Martha C. Slack, both of Phoenix, Ariz., and five percent to John H. Lowe, Santa Ana, and five percent to H. D. Meyer, Corona Del Mar, Calif.

Filed June 29, 1961, Ser. No. 120,639 6 Claims. (Cl. 273-483) This invention relates to grip training devices. It is fundamental to the obtaining of proficiency in many sports including tennis, baseball, and golf that the player employ an effective grip for holding the shaft or handle of the playing device. Many golf grip training devices, for example, have previously been proposed which provide means for training the positioning of the fingers and hands of the player on the shaft of the golf club. Proper positioning, while essential to the development of a good golf or baseball or other grip, is not the only concern. The development of a good grip also entails, in most instances, the strengthening of the individual fingers and the instinctive application of the proper finger pressures to the shaft or handle of the playing device. The problem of grip development is common to many sports and it will be understood that the device of the invention finds application in several fields. Hereinafter, the discussion will be for illustrative purposes with reference to 'a golf grip training device.

While there is some variation in the grips proposed by various professional golfers the accepted grips for the most part involve the placement of a portion of the right hand in overlying engagement with the thumb of the left hand. All accepted grips have areas where pressures are applied to the golf shaft and other areas where preferably little or no pressures are applied. Normally for a right-handed golfer, the pressure areas are associated with the small finger, the ring finger, and the middle finger of the left hand with the two pressure bearing fingers of the right hand being the ring and middle fingers. It is commonly recommended that the thumb and forefinger of each hand rest upon the golf shaft without significant gripping. The little finger of the right hand is generally partially immobilized since it overlaps or interlocks with the index finger of the left hand. The pressure areas will vary somewhat from golf grip to golf grip but in all accepted grips there are pressure areas and areas Where it is generally recommended that no pressure he applied.

It is an object of the grip training device of the invention to provide a training aid which not only teaches acceptable positioning of the fingers and the hands but also teaches and develops the proper application of the gripping force. It is a further object of the invention to provide a training device for the strengthening of the individual fingers normally employed in a technically acceptable grip.

Thus, it is seen that an acceptable golf grip involves not only correct orientation of the fingers and hands on the shaft of the golf club, but also depends on the proper application of force by the individual fingers. For instance, in one acceptable golf grip, force is applied by the individual fingers in the ratio of one unit of force for the small finger of the left hand, three-quarters of a unit of force for the ring finger, and one-half unit of force for the middle finger of the left hand. In this same grip the ring and middle fingers of the right hand respectively apply bearing forces in the amounts of onehalf unit and three-eighths unit of force. It will be appreciated that the foregoing is a ratio and that the actual bearing forces applied by the individual fingers will vary considerably in magnitude from individual to individual. For instance, a muscular male player employing a particular golf grip will apply much more total force than the ordinary female golfer using the same grip; however, the ratio of bearing forces applied by the individual fingers of the two golfers should be the same.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a device that will instruct the player in the instinctive application of a varying force ratio of the individual fingers to a golf shaft.

Broadly speaking, the grip training device of the invention comprises an elongated member which is sized to permit the human hand to be wrapped thereabout. A portion of the surface of the member is designed to be moved inwardly independently of the member proper, and means are provided to resist this inward movement. In a preferred embodiment of the grip training device of the invention, individual finger placement pads are mounted in the member, which pads are capable of inward and outward movement. Means, for example springs, are associated with the individual finger pads to resist their inward movement.

In one form of the grip training device of the invention the elongated member is tubular and the means for resisting inward movement of the finger pads takes the form of a rubber core placed within the tubular member.

As mentioned earlier, it is common to most accepted grips to minimize or completely avoid the application of force by the forefingers and thumbs of both hands. In one form of the grip training device of the invention, the elongated member presents a protuberance for each hand about which the thumb and the forefinger of the hand may rest. Means are associated with the foregoing protuberances which are designed to provide a signal upon application of excessive force to either of the protuberance areas. In an alternative, the protuberances may be provided with rough surfaces which will advise the player of his incorrect application of force.

It will be appreciated that the training device of the invention may be incorporated in a golf club or other playing device forming the upper part of the shaft but this is not recommended.

The foregoing objects and advantages of the invention, together with various other objects and advantages, will become evident to those skilled in the art in light of the following disclosure and drawings. The drawings illustrate and the disclosure describes preferred embodiments of the device of the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a preferred form of the golf club grip training device of the invention grasped by a player with the hands of the player being shown in phantom lines;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of the grip training device of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 2.

The training device of FIGS. 1-3 comprises a metal casting tubular member 12 which is threaded at one end to receive a closure cap 14. Reference to FIG. 1 will show that the outer configuration of the tubular member 12 includes two protuberances 18 and 20. The thumb and forefinger of the left hand engage the sides of the protuberance 18 while the thumb and forefinger of the right hand engage the sides of the other protuberance 20. The protuberances 18 and 20 have rough outer surfaces (inverted dimple-like projections) which if pressed will alert or signal the individual to his application of excessive force. In the particular grip embodied in the device of FIGS. '1 and 3, the little finger 24, ring finger 26, and

3 middle finger 28 of the left hand rest in the respective finger receiving grooves of finger pads 32, 34, and 36. The ring finger 4t and middle finger 42 of the right hand rest similarly in the finger receiving grooves of finger pads 46 and 48. The right hand is in overlying engagement with the thumb of the left hand and the small finger (not shown) of the right hand overlaps or interlocks with the index finger of the left hand and out of engagement with the training device.

The tubular member 412 contains a removable (and exchangeable) rubber core 59 of a desired resiliency. The individual finger pads 32, 34 and 36 are pivotally held to the tubular member 12 by a hinge wire 52 contained within an elongated hole in the tubular handle shell. The other two finger pads 46 and 48 are similarly held to the tubular shell adjacent its other end by a wire hinge 54 similarly located.

With reference particularly to FIG. 3, it will be seen that the finger pad 32 (and the other finger pads in a similar fashion) are sized with respect to the tubular member 12 so as to be depressable into the shell of the member 12 with an outer biased edge 53 of the finger pad engaging a similarly biased surface 66 of the tubular handle. A nearly closed or home position of the finger pad 32 is shown in phantom lines in FIG. 3. It will be seen that the actual force required to home the finger pad 52 (i.e., to bring surface 58 against surface 60*) is governed by the area of contact between the rubber core 50 and a contact member 6 2 affixed to the concave inside surface of the finger pad 32. It is the contact member 62 that actually engages the rubber core 50. It will be appreciated that an increase in the size of the contact member 62 will increase the area of contact between it and the rubber core, requiring the application of a greater force to bring about homing.

Finger pads 34, 36, 46 and 48 are similarly provided with contact members 64, 66, 68' and 70. Reference to FIG. 2 will disclose that the sizes of the contact members vary. For instance, the surface area of the contact member 62 is somewhat larger than that of the other four contact members. In the particular embodiment illustrated, the ratio of surface areas among the several contact members varies in the same ratio as the forces required to home the respective finger pads. For example, the force ratio to home the little finger pad 32, the ring finger pad 34 and the middle finger pad 36 of the left hand is 1:% /2. Similarly, the surface area ratio of the contact members of the three same finger pads is 1:%: /2. The force ratio required to home the finger pads 46 and 48 of the right hand and the little finger pad 32 of the left hand is /2:% :1. It will be appreciated that the homing force for any one of the several finger pads may be changed by increasing or decreasing the size of its respective contact member. The particular ratio of homing forces illustrated is that of a particular acceptable golf grip and may be used for either a female or a male golf player. If the training device is to be used by a woman, the rubber core 50 within the tubular member 12 is relatively less resilient, whereas, if the device is to be used for strentghening and training the grip of a male player, it will be desirable to employ a rubber core of harder substance. In both instances, the ratio of homing forces remains the same.

'Although an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been disclosed herein for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that various changes, modifications, and substitutions may be incorporated in such embodiment without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claims which follow.

I claim: 1. A grip training device comprising: an elongated tubular member, said member being sized to permit a human hand to be wrapped thereabout;

individual finger pads mounted in said member and capable of inward and outward movement with respect to said member; and

a rubber core placed within and substantially filling the internal cross section of said elongated member beneath said individual finger pads, said rubber core being in contact with the finger pads and serving to resist inward movement thereof.

2. A grip training device in accordance with claim 1 wherein the areas of contact bet-ween the rubber core and the respective finger pads are of varying sizes so as to vary the forces required to depress the respective pads.

3. A grip training device comprising:

an elongated tubular member having protuberances and finger receiving areas adapted to guide the two hands and fingers of a user into an accepted golf grip, there being a protuberance for each hand about which the thumb and forefinger of the hand rest;

means permitting inward and outward movement of at least some of the finger receiving areas; and

means associated with the movable finger receiving areas designed to resist the inward movement of said areas, said means for resisting inward movement of said finger receiving areas comprising a rubber core placed within and substantially filling the internal cross section of the tubular member beneath the finger receiving areas.

'4. A grip training device comprising:

an elongated tubular member having protuberances and finger pads adapted to guide the two hands and the fingers of a user into an accepted golf grip, there being a protuberance for each hand about which the thumb and the forefinger of the hand rest;

means permitting inward and outward movement of at least some of the finger pads with respect to the tubular member;

a rubber core disposed within the tubular member,

said rubber core serving to resist the inward movement of the finger pads and having an outside diameter substantially equal to the internal diameter of the tubular member; and

said finger pads having areas of contact of varying sizes with the rubber core so as to vary the forces required to depress said respective pads.

5. A grip training device in accordance with claim 4 wherein the areas of contact of the finger pads are sized so that the force ratio required to depress a little finger pad, a ring finger pad and a middle finger pad of the left hand is 1:% /z and the force ratio required to depress the ring finger and middle finger pads of the right hand compared with the little finger pad of the left hand is /2 5% :1.

6. A grip training device comprising:

an elongated tubular member having protuber'ances and finger receiving areas adapted to guide the two hands and fingers of a user into an accepted golf grip, there being a protuberance for each hand about which the thumb and forefinger of the hand rest;

vmeans permitting inward and outward movement of at least some of the finger receiving areas;

means associated with the movable finger receiving areas designed to resist the inward movement of said areas, said means for resisting inward movement comprising a rubber core placed Within and substantially filling the internal cross section of the tubular member beneath the movable finger receiving areas; and

means associated with the forefinger and thumb protuberances designed to provide a signal upon appli cation of excessive force to the respective protuberance areas.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,501,919 Saam Mar. 28, 1950 2,634,976 Mock Apr. 14, 1953 2,954,697 Geist Oct. 4, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 229,103-v Great Britain 1925 

6. A GRIP TRAINING DEVICE COMPRISING: AN ELONGATED TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING PROTUBERANCES AND FINGER RECEIVING AREAS ADAPTED TO GUIDE THE TWO HANDS AND FINGERS OF A USER INTO AN ACCEPTED GOLF GRIP, THERE BEING A PROTUBERANCE FOR EACH HAND ABOUT WHICH THE THUMB AND FOREFINGER OF THE HAND REST; MEANS PERMITTING INWARD AND OUTWARD MOVEMENT OF AT LEAST SOME OF THE FINGER RECEIVING AREAS; MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOVABLE FINGER RECEIVING AREAS DESIGNED TO RESIST THE INWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID AREAS, SAID MEANS FOR RESISTING INWARD MOVEMENT COMPRISING A RUBBER CORE PLACED WITHIN AND SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING THE INTERNAL CROSS SECTION OF THE TUBULAR MEMBER BENEATH THE MOVABLE FINGER RECEIVING AREAS; AND MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FOREFINGER AND THUMB PROTUBERANCES DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A SIGNAL UPON APPLICATION OF EXCESSIVE FORCE TO THE RESPECTIVE PROTUBERANCE AREAS. 